Days 71-74 in Hue, Vietnam
We caught the bus from Hoi An to Hue and chose a different bus company that didn’t make you stop at the Marble Mountains again. We passed through the unattractive city of Danang on our way north and then we were treated to some beautiful views of the countryside, mountains and ocean. We went through a huge tunnel which cut out a lot of twisty turns on the road … which I was grateful not to have to experience.
We arrived in Hue just before lunch and made it to our hotel. We had a room on the 8th floor which gave us a good view of the river and the Citadel etc. The whole time we were in Hue, the smog was thick so the view could certainly have been improved.
We spent our time in Hue checking out the Citadel – made our children walk all the way there and back to our hotel with the promise of a reward at the supermarket. We enjoyed iced coffees and the Pepsi Kem (icecream spiders) at the Lotteria food court. We had fun exploring the adjoining supermarket and ate fresh baguettes with jam in the food court.
One afternoon we headed in the opposite direction to the river and tourist strip to find a shopping mall that was marked on a map. It wasn’t too far from our hotel and we again enjoyed exploring the food and other departments. Steve and the boys got new shirts for about 40,000 -80,000 VND ($2-$4) each and we stocked up on a few more snacks and bottled water. The two supermarkets we went to made you check you large bags with a locker attendant so you couldn’t take them in with you. My smaller handbag got put into a plastic bag that was then sealed by a machine so nothing could be added to it. Interesting systems that create jobs!
Apart from the Citadel we really didn’t get out and about in Hue a great deal. The boys had no interest in seeing more boat rides to see pagodas so we relaxed and enjoyed doing very little. I found a good travel agency on one of my walks and whilst I didn’t book anything with them, when I later found another of their offices in Hanoi, I was confident to book some of our ongoing adventures – Asiana Travel Mate.
On Monday 18th April we had a booked flight from Hue to Hanoi. Beats a 12 hour bus ride! On with our Vietnam adventure.
No Comments »
No comments yet.
